Her Smile
by tatianatorpidette
Summary: Han tries to figure out why Leia has him wrapped around her finger. Pre-ESB.H/L.oneshot


You don't get it, you just don't get it.

You agreed to a mission that went half way 'round the galaxy to Byss, the most dangerous system imaginable, to find a couple of data chips that held "_Information that would be of great use to the Alliance_" in a newly-abandoned archive hall that just happened to be right next to the planet's Imperial Command Center.

You had just found the last chip when a dozen or so stormtroopers just happened to walk in on you looking through classified information. Now if it had been some other guy, he would have taken a blasterbolt to the head faster than you could say "Darth Vader", but hey, _it's you_, so naturally, you got out of there alive but not without getting shot. Luckily the Wook gets there with the Falcon before the stormies do.

After takin' off, the Imps on the Star Destroyers have been alerted and they're already hot on your heels. After a few evasive maneuvers, the Falcon's in the clear; she takes a few hits but no serious damage done, but this one shot that got you unleashed an aftershock that shook the ship real hard. In your hurry to take off, you forgot to strap myself in, and just like the dummy on the public safety announcements, you banged your head hard on the controls. With you unconscious, Chewie had to fly the ship alone, with some difficulty, he eventually gets the ship into hyperspace and you wake up three days later.

So here you are all by your lonesome in the med bay of the Alliance's new base with a 2-1B taking the bandages and bacta off and you're trying to figure out why in the nine hells you ever agreed to this mission in the first place.

And then _she _walks in and it all comes back to you.

"Finally awake I see, Flyboy." She says as she gives you a smile.

You don't know how she does it but that smile has gotten you to do just about anything. This mission for one, staying with the Alliance for as long as you have is another. Virtually any time she comes up to you to ask for something, no matter how much you try to convince myself that that risk ain't worth it all and how much you argue with her about not wanting to do it, you know that if you agree, she'll smile and you'll forget all about how dangerous and stupid it all sounds...you say no from time to time, but only so she tries harder to get you to say yes.

She puts down her datapad takes a seat near you and says, "I got to thinking you never wanted to wake up again"

"You're not that lucky sweetheart." This time you smile, grin is more like it.

Sometimes you wonder if _she_ ever feels anything when _you_ smile at her. Or maybe it's only when _she_ smiles, because the moment she does, she has you wrapped around her little royal finger, you don't know how or why but her ability to do this, doesn't bother you as much as it should. For a money-loving mercenary, your price doesn't seem all that steep. Now she may not feel anything when _you_ smile at her but you'd be lying if you said she didn't have an effect on you.

"You're right about that." She looks at the discarded bloodstained-bandages, "How are you feeling?"

You wonder if she knows…

"A little sore but I'll be alright. You have to admit though your worship, I did pretty well considering the odds."

…about being able to get you to do anything…not that you're not wondering if she knows about the other thing too.

"_Pretty well_? If I didn't know any better, I'd thinl you've gained a sense of humility nerfherder."

You wonder sometimes whether she means anything else by saying stuff like that, or if she's trying to tell you something other than thank you when she smiles. You try to find some hidden meaning in sentences that I really shouldn't be thinking about, just because _she_ said it.

"Oh so you think I did better did you, your worship?"

You test those waters from time to time, purposely trying to rattle her, trying to see if you can get anything out of her that might give you a clue. You still don't know if smiling makes her feel anything, but teasing certainly gets her talking.

"Well you aren't dead now are you?" she says, her defenses going up just a little bit

You keep grinning, "Worried about that were you?" the moment the words are out of my mouth her cheeks get a tad bit redder

"No! I mean, yes. I mean.." she rubs her temples and looks away, "I _was_ worried about you," and now you think you know exactly what she means,

"everyone was," or maybe not.

"The Beshqek system is in the _Deep Core Security Zone_, and Byss itself is the seat of the emperor. Why wouldn't I be worried?" then she looks at you, and you decide to stop trying to look for answers. Because you'd have to be completely heartless to ignore that look.

"Hey look, Princess, I didn't mean to upset you. Listen, I'm fine. And I managed to get you those chips you needed right? It all worked out." You put my hands on her shoulders and hope that the smile on your face _does_ have an effect on her.

She sighs and looks at her boots "You're right." She looks you in the eye like she's going to tell you something, but right before she can say a word, her comlink beeps and the smile leaves your face, "I should get going," you watch her as she picks up her datapad, "I'll tell Luke you're awake."

Before you know it she's already stood up making her way towards the door, and just so she's around a little longer you open your mouth and speak.

"Hey your Highnessness" She turns around, datapad and comlink in hand, "why don't you and the kid come over to the Falcon tonight?"

Sometimes you wonder why you do all these things, why you want to her to stay just a few parsecs more, why her smile's enough for you, why your heart beats faster when she's around, why you feel compelled to do almost everything she asks you to.

She smiles "I'd be happy to."

This time _you_ smile, wide as you can

She turns around again but right before she steps out she looks at you, walks back over and gives you a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Han."

When she's gone you put your hand where her lips touched your skin, and suddenly it all becomes clear.

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You walk out and go down the corridor, off to another high council meeting.

You try and distract yourself...

with figures...

Intel...

Flight suits....

and issues....

but you know there's only one thing that you're really thinking about.

Sometimes you wonder if he knows just what that lopsided grin of his does to you.

* * *

thanks to dm1 for pointing out the POV errors

more information on the planet Byss can be found on .


End file.
